Forgotten Memories
by Zipis1
Summary: Before Rainbow Brite, there was another who wore the belt and brought color to the world, but the Color Kids never seem to talk about her. Maybe they can't, because they don't remember she ever existed.


Disclaimer: I wasn't even born when Rainbow Brite came out. You think I'd own it??

A/N: This is my first stab at anything other than Chrono Trigger stories, so be warned. I've always loved Rainbow Brite, ever since I was old enough to know what television was. However, they never did explain what happened to the previous wearer of the belt, so I thought I would. I'm going to try to turn this into a comic-kinda thing, but I wanted to write it out first. Well, anyway, enjoy!!

As the color faded from the land to be replaced by mere shadows as twilight approached, a sigh could be heard drifting along the breeze. It had come from the top of a bright, cheerful castle, the brilliance of which could never be taken away by the darkest of nights.

A young girl stood there, leaning against the rail of the balcony and staring vacantly out at the horizon. She had unnaturally long, silvery hair that, if not kept in the elaborate bun she usually had it in, would drag on the ground. Her eyes were clear as crystal, and when shown in just the right light, displayed all the colors of the rainbow. She wore a simple, light blue nightgown that came to about halfway down her thighs on one side before gracefully sloping to end near her ankles on the other. She looked about eleven, but she was in reality hundreds of years old, the way she spoke the only thing that gave her away. On her left cheek was a small, rounded purple star, and around her waist was a strange, shimmering belt. The Color Belt.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? It's getting dark."

Startled out of her peaceful reverie, the young girl jumped a little, but smiled when she turned around and saw who it was that had spoken.

"Hi Patty," she said, still smiling. However, the smile that usually adorned her face, one that could brighten anyone's day, was absent. Instead, it had been replaced by one full of concern and worry.

"What's the matter? You don't seem yourself lately."

"There's nothing wrong, Patty. I'm fine. Really!"

The younger, green haired girl wasn't fooled.

"Uh huh…" she said, pulling herself up onto the railing and taking a seat. "That's why you've been up here for nearly an hour, sighing every five seconds like a love sick teenager?"

The slightly older girl blushed, embarrassed by the fact that she had allowed anyone, even Patty, who was like a sister to her, notice her distress. Patty, however, took her slightly red cheeks an entirely different way, and gasped.

"Oh…my…You have a crush on some one, don't you! Come on, tell me…who's the lucky guy!?"

The silver haired girl blanched, a bit surprised at the accusation.

"What!? No! I don't have a crush on anyone! Why would you-"

"Nah ah ah…" said Patty, shaking a finger at her friend. "Don't try to lie! Who is it!? Is it a boy from Earth?" she asked excitedly.

"No, Patty, I-"

"Red?"

"No-"

"Starlight?"

"N-Wait a minute…What!?"

Patty giggled. "Just kidding. Sorry, couldn't resist!" After a brief moment of thinking, she looked sidelong at her older friend. "It's not…Buddy, is it?" she asked, suspicion dripping from her tone.

Smiling slightly, the silver haired girl laughed softly before saying, "Of course not Patty. I know better than that."

Letting loose a sigh of relief, Patty grinned widely while brandishing a balled up fist mock-threateningly.

"Good, 'cuz you know I'd have ta pound you into the ground if you did!"

They both laughed at this, Patty's considerably louder laugh echoing off the hills slightly. After they had calmed down, Patty was quick to start up where she had left off.

"So, who is it? Come on! You can't fool me Rainbow!"

The older girl's face, which had brightened into its usual radiance from talking to Patty, quickly darkened again, and a thoughtful expression came across her face as she frowned slightly.

_Rainbow? Has that _always _been my name?_

"Uh…Rainbow…are you OK?" Patty asked, a little worried about her friend's reaction.

Snapping back to reality, Rainbow looked up into Patty's concerned eyes, and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Yes…I'm fine. I guess I've been feeling a little off lately. But I'm okay…it's nothing to be concerned about. Don't worry." She placed a hand on Patty's shoulder, thanking her without words for her concern.

However, once her hand had made full contact with Patty, Rainbow's eyes widened greatly, and a look of fear came across her face.

"Rainbow? Rainbow, what's wrong!?" Patty asked, frightened by the older girl's actions. However, Rainbow didn't seem to hear her, didn't even seem to see her. Her eyes were hollow as she stared at Patty, seeing something as clear as though she were there.

_The sky was gray and the air oppressing. The world around the small group was dried up, blackened and dead. She was riding Starlight, but he was different. He didn't have his splendidly colored tail and mane, nor did he have his yellow, star shaped mark on his forehead. _

_There were others with her. One was a yellow haired girl wearing a leotard and golden-brown leggings, the other was a small white sprite, who didn't seem to be enjoying the ride very much. She was also holding small baby with light pink hair and a star shaped mark on her cheek._

_"Don't do that!" cried Twink, the white sprite, as the baby reached into a pouch on the belt around his waist, taking a small, shining, colorful star out of it, throwing it into the air._

_As the white sprite looked up to grab it, he suddenly called out, "Oriel! Look! There's some one in that tangled nest, right at the top of that tree!"_

_Looking up, she heard a gasp from behind her._

_"It's Patty O' Green!" called Canary Yellow, the other girl with her. "We've got to help her, Oriel!"_

_"But we'll never be able to reach her!" cried Twink, almost desperately._

_"Don't worry, we'll find a way!" Oriel said determinably._

_Suddenly, a frog-like bird swooped down, landing in the nest beside Patty. It looked at the young green haired girl hungrily, licking its lips and savoring the terrified look on her face._

_It opened its mouth, revealing hundreds of razor sharp teeth. As it descended upon its prey, it blocked Patty from the view of the others. Canary Yellow was in a state of panic as she heard an ear splitting scream echo throughout the night._

"Rainbow! Rainbow, can you hear me!? Answer me, Rainbow, please!" Patty had gotten off of the railing, and was now holding the shoulders of her friend tightly in her hands as she shook her, trying to get the terrified expression off of the older girl's face and get the sparkle and brightness back into her lifeless eyes. Unable to think of anything else, Patty raised her hand high in the air, and slapped her as hard as she could.

Blinking, Rainbow regained her senses.

"Huh…wha-"

A relieved smile broke across Patty's face as she watched her friend return to normal.

"Thank goodness, you're OK!!" she said, wrapping her arms around the still fazed girl in a bone crushing embrace, crying out of sheer relief. "I thought I had lost you…"

"Um…Patty?? I, uh…can't breath," Rainbow said in a strained voice.

"Sorry!" she said, looking sheepishly away while releasing her death grip on her friend. Within seconds, however, the sheepish look turned into a look of anger.

"Don't you EVER do that again, do you hear me!? You scared me half way to death! What on earth _happened_ anyway! I thought you had die-Hey! Are you even listening to me!?" she screamed, realizing that Rainbow was looking all around her as though she had never seen any of it before.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry Patty…no, I wasn't." Patty gave her a puzzled look, which Rainbow returned. Then warily, she asked, "Um…Patty?"

"…Yeah"

"Has…has Rainbowland…_always_ been this colorful?"

"Yeah…why do you ask?", she questioned, giving her friend a curious look.

"Um…no reason…" Rainbow said, looking down at her feet, blushing slightly. "Um…have you or any of the other Color Kids ever called me something besides Rainbow Brite?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…have you guys always known me as Rainbow Brite, or did I have a different name once?" she asked quietly, looking down at her feet.

"Not that I know of. You've _always _been Rainbow Brite, Rainbow, why would you think otherwise?"

Gaze still fixed on the floor, Rainbow shuffled a little before answering, brushing away a stray hair that had fallen into her face.

"It's just…that I…" sighing in resignation, she looked off to the side. "Never mind…it's nothing."

Patty watched her for a moment, narrowing her eyes in suspicion and curiosity. Deciding to ignore her friend's strange behavior, Patty laughed nervously before speaking.

"Well, Miss Identity Crisis, I think you should go to bed. You seem to have overworked yourself. Come on, I'll even tuck ya in!" she exclaimed jokingly, reaching out to grab Rainbow's arm and lead her inside.

However, just as Patty was about to grab on, Rainbow suddenly jumped out of the way, as though afraid the green Color Kid's touch would burn her, that fearful look back on her young face.

Patty was surprised, and let her hand drop to the side.

"Um…okay...I'll just…I'll just go then."

Spinning on her heel, Patty walked quietly through the French doors leading to the balcony and into the Color Castle.

Seeing that her friend was hurt, Rainbow called out to her, "Patty, wait! I didn't mean to-", but it was too late, the sound of a door clicking shut letting her know that Patty was in her room, and the sound of a lock being turned telling her that she did not want to be disturbed.

"Great!" she said, frustrated. "What's wrong with me!? Every time I touch some one I see the same cold and dead world. And why was everyone calling me Oriel? My name's Rainbow Brite."

She wanted the nightmares, for that's what they were, whether she was awake when she had them or not, to stop

Playing idly with one shimmering strand of hair, a thought suddenly struck her.

What if they weren't nightmares? What if they were memories once forgotten, now striving to be remembered?

Dismissing the thought as quickly as she could, she assured herself, "I've always been Rainbow, even Patty said so. We couldn't have _both_ forgotten something so horrible, could we? My name's Rainbow. Rainbow!" Lowering her head to rest in her hands, she whispered softly, "Isn't it."

While she stood there, the moon shining softly on her silver hair, she wasn't so sure anymore.


End file.
